MOSOP disowns call for protest over East-West Road

The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has disowned media reports credited to one Mr. Oscar Imeabe, who threatened to embark on a protest over the delay in the ongoing construction of the East-West Road project.

The group wants to make it unequivocally clear that Imeabe is not its publicity secretary, as claimed in the reports and stated that the general public should disregard all statements emanating from him, as they do not represent its position on any issue whatsoever.

MOSOP President Fegalo Nsuke, in a statement made available to The Guardian in Abuja, expressed sadness that some individuals have commercialized the gains of the Ogoni struggles of over three decades, parading themselves and using threats to force companies and agencies in their favour.

“We want to state that our secretariat has not issued any statement of threat over the East-West Road project. While we have issues with the handling of the road project, we strongly believe in constructive engagement and have not contemplated calling for a protest over the project,” Nsuke added.

According to him, MOSOP denounces these greedy, selfish, and fraudulent practices championed by MOSOP merchants and urges the general public to disregard the aforementioned statement.

The MOSOP President further stressed that the formation of splinter groups is disrespectful to the courts and illegal, calling on the promoters of these faceless groups to desist from further encouraging indecency and illegality in our society.

The statement read: “Following the national executive elections of MOSOP, which took place in 2018 and culminated in the election of Nsuke as president of MOSOP on December 19, 2018, the outcome of that election was challenged at the federal and state high courts and is still pending before various courts of competent jurisdiction.

“For the information of the general public, Mr. Oscar Imeabe is not the Publicity Secretary of MOSOP, and it is our instruction, therefore, that all statements from him or any other individual should be disregarded.

“We should further state that, consequently, the Central Committee of MOSOP, being the highest decision-making organ of the organization empowered by its constitution, met in December 2021 and unanimously decided that all further actions regarding elections be put on hold pending the determination of ongoing court cases.

“MOSOP expects all parties to maintain the status quo and not form illegal splinter groups such as the ones peddled by Engr. Olu Andah Wai-Ogosu, Oscar Imeabe, and others. We insist that if an election is challenged, the winner remains in office until the court decides on legal challenges. This happens even in the election of the Nigerian President, where the election tribunal, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court make pronouncements while the elected president remains in office.